The absurdity of his suggestion makes me more anxious. “But it’s impossible. You can’t promise that when you don’t know what I am going to tell you. You can’t define your reaction to information before you hear it. That’s very unreasonable.”

“Are you criticizing me right now? Do you think it’s wise to make me mad before telling me something important?”

“You know what? You want it, you’ll get it. I am telling you right now. You are so frustrating. One minute you are cold and tell me to get lost, the next – you propose that I spend the night with you. Then you kiss me, like really kiss me without even kissing me, and tell me it is what friends do. We are not friends, Ryan, and you know it. On top of that, you make this great job offer, and I don’t even understand what I am going to do while working for you. You also claim that whatever I tell you now won’t affect you, which is ridiculous. You are a human being. Every word affects you. And the worst thing is that I am happy to see you, you know. I shouldn’t be happy, because you are …”

Before I can say another word, Ryan leans forward, and his lips are on mine. Again. He lightly brushes his mouth with mine, silencing me. Before I can bring myself closer, he pulls back. The kiss is so brief it seems like it didn’t even happen.

Our eyes meet. A deliciously sexy smile eases across Ryan’s mouth.

“I just didn’t know how to make you stop with this rambling thing.”

“So you decided to just kiss me again?”

“I know it is probably not the wisest decision, but I think today I am being unreasonable.”

This time he’s grinning so big that I can see all his teeth and the cute way his eyes crinkle at the sides.

“Don’t mock me, Ryan. This is serious. We have to stop this if I agree to take the job.”

“Stop what … eating?”

With a resigned sigh, I slump in my chair to put some distance between us.

“I want to be honest with you and with myself. I am attracted to you, Ryan,” I admit, nervously fumbling with the napkin. “And you may want to play a friendly card and say that you don’t feel this … chemistry between us, but I can’t. My life is too complicated right now. I can’t have a relationship, and I am not a one-night kind of girl. What is more important, you are my boss now. I mean you are Steven’s boss, so technically you are mine, too. So what happens next between us is a question of integrity for me. And I really need this job you are offering.”

Ryan’s eyes work back and forth between mine, but he doesn’t say anything; his expression is unreadable. I keep torturing the napkin, afraid of what’s coming next.

Two people haunted by their past…

The collision of two damaged hearts…

Meet Elizabeth Williams. She is at the airport on an important work assignment. If everything goes smoothly, after three years of hard work, she’ll get a promotion and a much-needed raise. Elizabeth is putting her life back on track after it was ripped out from under her feet four years ago when she lost her parents along with all her dreams. Standing here, she believes her life is going to change for the better any moment now. Nothing can go wrong, right?

Meet Ryan Price. He came to Moscow on business. Right now, Ryan is standing at the airport looking at a ‘present’ from his brother, judging by the sign a beautiful young woman is holding. Damn his brother for not cancelling this arrangement as Ryan asked.

Miscommunications and misunderstandings and a brilliant but painful love story begins.

There will be a scary flight, lovely breakfasts, long evening conversations, sharing a secret or two, discovering one another, a lot of laughter, tender moments and some tears, a fight and, of course, the I-am-ready-for-the-end-of-the-world kiss.

Somewhere along the way, they won’t be able to fight their feelings any longer.

For the first time in his life, Ryan will experience a different shade of lust. And for the first time in her life, Elizabeth will have to trust despite all of the times she has been hurt.

Will these two wounded lost souls find love, peace and comfort in each other or will they just break each other more? Is it a train wreck of a love story or a happily ever after?

Always an avid reader who consumes whole books in a single day, Emily Krat is ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page. For her writing stories and developing ideas for novels is a true passion and a dream come true.

Emily is a chocolate junkie, “Grey’s Anatomy” fan, and admirer of good music. She loves summer rains, warm blankets on cold winter nights, as well as traveling, sleeping in late, watching TV shows, cooking, and baking. When she’s not writing or rewriting, she loves spending time with family and friends.

Emily loves to hear from readers. To get write to her directly at emilykratauthor@gmail.com